In every person’s life, events occur that cause significant changes to everything they have known before. I grew up in a supportive environment and close environment; however, everything changed when my uncle suddenly passed away in August last year. The emotional pain of losing a loved one and the new adjustments at home became overwhelming for me. It was getting hard to study on the schedule that fits the school as I had to manage everything in the house and depend on someone for commuting. Given my situation, the virtual mode was flexible and more convenient to help me succeed, and I decided to switch back to online schooling. However, it meant losing out on some required courses of my interest, like AP Computer Science and AP Chemistry, and AP Physics. Apart from that, the frustration of being unable to connect with peers and instructors socially worried me.
My situation triggered an array of emotions, making me confused and disappointed. Nevertheless, I realized that ability to adapt well to adversities and tragedies would help me manage stress and feelings of anxiety and uncertainty in my future life. Things started getting better when I realized the problem and understood that fear of failure, among others, is a significant obstacle that hinders our progress (“Adjusting to change: Adapt and overcome”, n.d.). This is due to negative emotions that can make people feel inferior and insecure.
I began to understand the steps I needed to take to succeed. To cover for the missed AP courses, I enrolled in A to G-approved chemistry, physics, and computer science classes. I started by writing down all the tasks I needed to complete that day, planned my schedule, and stuck to it. These steps helped me study better and manage everything in my family and at home. With this small success, I learned how to stay focused, how to believe in myself, and found new motivation to improve myself and my life. Constant achievements renewed my hope and gave me the strength to take on the challenge and build my confidence and skills.
Reference
Adjusting to change: Adapt and overcome. (n.d.). Center Stone.